Selling this bike, guy off craigslist trying to convince me it'll cost 100$ to replace; I know that's BS because I know the exact part is here: https://www.modernbike.com/product-2126300226?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22488232054&gbraid=0AAAAAD_UAjw-qgCYtKwOx6_3RWpQDM8RH&gclid=CjwKCAjwyYPOBhBxEiwAgpT8P_XmXsVMObs4Yu1OWGRqcBkOUFPKdmzmcKKrP3XeP4q59Cdy-9SWNRoCk48QAvD_BwE
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/hybrid-bikes/active-fitness-bikes/fx/fx-1/p/17446/
But then he's like, "well, installed, it won't be less than 100$" but I still have a FR-1 laying around from when I rebuilt a bike, it's truly just a matter of time/energy, but looking at it I'm wondering if this could just be rubbed off with wool and then add lube.
I know the guy's just trying to hustle the price down, but now it's got me thinking if I should just clean it up some more anyways.
https://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/d/brooklyn-trek-fx1/7922906922.html
by CyJackX
25 Comments
Not really, it looks surface, but the whole drivetrain needs to be lubed.
No, you can clean it with some wd40 and an old toothbrush.
But doesn’t effect anything.
nope
wirebrush and some ” oil” and it’s good to go
A new freewheel is like 20 to 30$
Tell him you’ll clean it up.
Delete the photos. Take New ones after it’s clean.
Ignore him.
[deleted]
That’s cosmetic rust only and will self-polish with use. However, it probably will negatively impact your sales price, depending on where you live. If you’re in a small town and can’t afford to ignore this person then address it, but otherwise block them.
Steel wool or a steel manual brush is a PITA way to clean these. A drill-chucked brush, even a cheap one from Harbor Freight (assuming US) is FAR faster.
I suspect they’re just using this as a negotiation point and no matter what you do on this topic it won’t be sufficient.
It’s not a bad amount of rust, just looks like surface corrosion. It’s definitely BS that replacing will cost $100 unless he’s taking it to the highest est bike shop to have the part swapped.
I would leave the freewheel on and just scrub it with a metal bristle brush and some Evaporust. It’ll shine line new.
That said, a rusty freewheel is indicative of poor care in other places. Make sure the rest of the bike doesn’t need new bearings and stuff too
Don’t let lowballers win. I had a guy come with his wife to look at a bike I was selling. Bike was easily worth double my asking price, almost every part had been replaced and it was tuned up.
He found an issue, and kept focusing on it. His wife got involved in the charade. I saw what they were doing, so I played along.
After an hour if games, he made his lowball offer, to which I said “No”. Then took the bike and walked away. He was shocked. Asked if I was going to counter-offer? “No. I’m not interested in selling it to you. I paid more than your offer for the tires. You fucked up, you’ll never find a bike in this condition, for this price”. Then I closed the door.
I was asking $125 for a fully tuned Norco, in great shape….
10 minutes with some wd-40 and a wire brush and that will clean up nice. Worst case it looks scary and will scare people away, best case it’s something a buyer could use to leverage the price down.
Anyways, I’m only seeing surface rust I would want to deal with that quick because it’s a lot of surface rust and that could start becoming an actual problem quick.
it’s not gonna hurt anything
Whoa, what material is the bail out gear made out of? It seems totally unaffected by corrosion.
Nope.
Looks like it hasn’t been ridden in a month of Sundays so probably doesn’t matter 🤔 otherwise a drop of oil and of you go 🚲
It’s surface rust clean and oil it and it should be fine.
Imo that much rust means the bike probably sat outside and wasn’t maintained and everything else is probably hammered and rusty inside
Visually it looks bad but it’s just surface rust that a couple of minutes with a wire brush will clean off.
You need to be aware that it can come back but if you give it a quick spray with something that will protect it like GT85 or similar it will take much longer to.
Teeth all look good. I would spray it with a r/bikewrench approved aerosol lubricant, and spin the pedals switching all the gears.
Are you sure it’s a 2020? It looks older based on those components but maybe the FX series used older tech for longer. I’d figure it would at least have disc brakes. At any rate, there are some other issues I see that would give me pause at spending $350, it appears it was stored outside, if not directly then in an open garage.
Labor is gonna be more than the freewheel. 7spd freewheel is like $20. Labor MAYBE would be like $30 MAX depending on what the shops around your area bill at. He definitely trying to haggle!
As a tech at my local LBS, my instinct is to say replace it! But from a customer POV, this is light surface rust and could probably be removed with little effect to shifting quality/wear.
I do like prefacing any “rust removal” on bike drivetrains with a warning. IT IS NOT ALCHEMY! You are brute forcing a repair and removing way more material than is normal. On higher end bikes I will straight up refuse to remove rust off high end components, because it always causing issues a few days later for customers.
That’s a twenty minute fix – WD40 and a good brass bristled brush will take care of this if you don’t feel like riding it around and letting it self-polish. Tell this guy to pound sand. He either wants it or he doesn’t.
I’m not greedy, but I do know the value of things. I price things to sell and refuse to negotiate. Price is firm, no haggling.
Id hit it with a wire brush and oil it lol, that’s what i did when water entered my shed and it’s worked perfectly fine
Is there a good amount?
Derust with wd40, clean with water + a towel you dont care about then tell him you replaced it and say that it will be 50-60$ extra. He will probably know how to derust it himself but do him dirty for being like that lol.
Lol that’s a cheap $12 free wheel. Even Found on Walmart bikes.
Good spray on rust remover. I’ve used this for years. Spray on in shade , wire brush then spray off with garden hose before it dries
Meguiar’s Hot Rims Chrome Wheel Cleaner, G19124, 24 oz. About seven dollars at Walmart.
However, this bike is priced for eBay not craigslist.
I sell anywhere from 30 to 50 bikes per year and know what they go for.
that’s a basic very basic Trek from 2018. Has the cheap entry level Walmart style front triple sprocket.
I would sell it for no more than $225 if it was in MiNT condition. As it is, I would sell it for $145. Close-up of the steel bike parts do show oxidation in many other areas as well. In my opinion, this bike is very rough shape looking. It could easily be cleaned up though by someone who knows how to do it.
How do people let it get bike get rusty that’s only eight years old? Is it sitting on a outside balcony? Ride in snow on the road?
This bike at $350, is overpriced.
Soak it in vinegar.